Yoga: jargon buster

Asana: the Sanskrit word for a yoga posture (position or pose).

Ashram: a secluded place or retreat where yoga is taught and practised.

Atman: in yoga, this is the soul, or Higher Self.

Ashtanga: an aerobic form of yoga used to build strength.

Ayurveda: the yogic path to self-healing.

Bikram: this type of yoga is performed in a hot room to help aid flexibility.

Chakras: energy centres in the body, of which there are seven.

Dharma: yoga believes in a complete truth, or dharma, which governs the universe.

Guru: a spiritual teacher.

Hatha: a type of yoga aimed at balancing mind, body and spirit.

Karma: the yogic law of cause and effect.

Kundalini: chanting takes precedence over postures in this type of yoga.

Mantra: words that are chanted and, in yoga, believed to be sacred.

Mindfulness: yoga teachers often speak of this. It simply means being aware of your body's position without anything else distracting you.

Namaste: a popular greeting in yoga, it literally means "Your light meets my light".

Om: a word chanted in yoga mantras that is believed to reverberate positively in the body.

Padmasana: the famous lotus yoga pose (sitting in a cross-legged position with hands on knees).

Posture: in yoga, a posture is a pose or position that the body holds while breathing deeply.

Pranayama: breathing exercises.

Samadhi: to be aware of nothing at all, the ultimate aim of yoga.

Sanskrit: the classical literary language of India.

Savasana: the classic relaxation pose in yoga.

Sivananda: this school of yoga is a gentler version of yoga that focuses heavily on relaxation for physical well-being.

Ujjayi: an "Ahhhh" sound made at the back of the throat when breathing inwards and outwards rhythmically.

Vinyasa: a series of movements co-ordinated with breaths.

Yoga: the word yoga is actually a Sanskrit word for "join together". The aim is for the soul to be joined to the spirit through use of the body.

Yogi: someone who practises yoga and lives by its philosophy.